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I was diagnosed with HIV + Begining of July 2007. Since then I have been taking 1 teaspoon of Indian Cinnamon 4 times a day (dissolved into in a cup of coffee) as well as Sambucol 4 times daily, which is an Elderberry extract in tablet form. (www.sambucol.com)

My viral load has remained the same (28.800). CD4 is presently at 276 ( At the begining it was 300, then 270 then 324 and now 276) and based on my doctors reccomendations I will start Truvada and Stocrin next week.

I have and am feeling great. Actually since I started taking Sambucol, my general health and well being has been the best that I have been feeling in years.

So next week I will begin with the medications. I have been quite worried to start taking them, but now I have resolved myself to this fact and have come to terms with it.

This was posted a few months ago on israel21c.org site. under the health section.

For most of his professional life, Tel Aviv University professor Michael Ovadia focused on snakes and the medicinal properties of their venom. But seven years ago, after meditating on a biblical passage, Ovadia's career focus began to take a twist... a cinnamon twist to be exact.

Today the spiritual scientist from TAU's Department of Zoology is commercializing a unique cinnamon extract that is touted to quell viral infections from HIV to the Avian flu.

A research and license deal on his patent-pending cinnamon extract was signed last week between TAU's technology transfer company Ramot and Frutarom, a multinational nutraceutical company based in Israel. Frutarom is expected to use the extract in a whole host of applications from disinfecting the air as a spray against Avian flu in airports; to a daily supplement that protects people against the common flu.

Those researching in the field of natural medicine know that snake venom, especially the notorious poisonous kind, has unique anti-viral and analgesic properties that can help fight human illness and disease. For the past 40 years, Ovadia had been working with natural antidotes and found that certain kinds of venom can deactivate Parainfluenza (Sendai) virus - a virus similar to the human flu.

Work was going well. Papers were published, patents had been developed, and his reputation in the field was established. But Ovadia was still waiting for the breakthrough that every scientist dreams about.

That breakthrough would come to him one morning in the synagogue while listening to a reading from the Old Testament.

"There is a passage that explains how the High Priests - the Kohens - would prepare a holy oil used on their bodies before they made a ritual animal sacrifice," recalls Ovadia. "I had a hunch that this oil, which was prepared with cinnamon and other spices, played a role in preventing the spread of infectious agents to people."

Taking his hunch to the laboratory bench, Ovadia's initial experiments proved to be true - his savory cinnamon extract was able to quickly and effectively immunize chicken embryos from the Newcastle disease virus - one which costs the poultry industry in the US millions of dollars a year.

Further studies on Avian Flu H9, Sendai virus, the HIV virus, and Herpes Simplex 1 also achieved positive results. Not only was the extract able to neutralize the viruses, it also showed for selected viruses that it has the potential to immunize against them as well.

Now before people start dropping cinnamon sticks in their hot chocolate and sprinkling it all over their lattes - take note that the cinnamon extract developed by Ovadia has special properties that won't be found at coffee shops or in the kitchen cupboard. First of all, it comes from a special variety of cinnamon; coumarin and cinnamon aldehyde, which are by-products of cinnamon 'juice'. These are actually damaging to the liver in high quantities, and must be removed.

"You cannot take high doses from the natural form of cinnamon," Ovadia told ISRAEL21c. "If you used it several times a day to protect you from the flu, it would be toxic."

During seasonal epidemics, around 10-20% of the world is infected with the influenza virus and the elderly and young are particularly at risk. In America alone, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 35-50 million Americans are infected with the flu every season. Despite the use of vaccines, the influenza virus is still associated with significant mortality worldwide - especially now that people travel regularly and work together in offices and closed spaces.

Moreover, the global circulation of the deadly Bird Flu H5 (with more than 50% mortality in infected humans) may cause a sudden worldwide pandemic within two to three months. Until a vaccine is invented, antivirals will be the only medical intervention for use in such a pandemic, says Ovadia.

"What we know is that this technology is capable of neutralizing viruses very fast and that it is applicable to various applications," said Dr. Nissim Chen, the business development manager of Ramot who managed the commercialization process which ending up with the licensing to Frutarom. "For example, it can be used in air conditioning systems in hospitals and prevent infections spreading from one person to the other in closed spaces."

There is a growing tendency for researchers and clinicians to explore natural compounds against disease, agrees Chen, adding that Ovadia is well-known for his work in natural inhibitors of snake venom.

"This work with cinnamon is really an extension of his research. And at Tel Aviv University in general, there are several groups working on biological and chemicals structure of natural inhibitors," he said.

Besides the human application, Ovadia sees that cinnamon fills an important niche in the agriculture industry where chicks need to be immunized by hand against the deadly Newcastle disease virus.

"If someone needs to immunize 1,000 chicks through drops in the chick's eye, then we know they are not doing this accurately - it is also an issue of animal welfare," says Ovadia.

Instead, he believes, "we will be able to administer this cinnamon extract through a tiny pin prick in the shell before the chick hatches." Such an immunization gives the chickens protection against the Newcastle virus, Ovadia assures.

Applying this research to the global scale could only be done with the help of a large company - which is where Frutarom comes in. The Israeli-based flavor and food additive company has grown in the last 10-15 years from $10 million a year to a projected $350 million by the end of 2007.

"We're going to take this know how from a food supplement to protect people from illness to neutraceuticals in drugs; it can also be used in agriculture against Bird flu - certainly it represents a very diversified product line," said Frutarom's CEO Ori Yehudai.

According to the company, Ovadia will continue to lead research into the development of the extract, and Frutarom estimates that the new cinnamon product will be launched in about a year. Hopefully just before flu season.

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Cruise on down the High Way

"When people who are not ready jump in, things can go horribly wrong. For most of us, there is always time to take a deep breath, consider one's options and make a careful, sound decision based on clinical fact, not emotion."MtD

I was diagnosed with HIV + Begining of July 2007. Since then I have been taking 1 teaspoon of Indian Cinnamon 4 times a day (dissolved into in a cup of coffee) as well as Sambucol 4 times daily, which is an Elderberry extract in tablet form. (www.sambucol.com)

Key to cinnamon anti-viral extract found in the Bible,

Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. SambucolŽ is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

Oh I remeber that bible passage, it's the one where Eve tells Adam the apple pie could use a little Cinnamon.

Wow, somebody finally found a way to patent a naturally occuring substance. Oh dear, with the good book thrown behind it too-and oh yes, there's the inevitable snake in there somehow. I see oil prices going up again....

My doc told me a few years ago to add cinnamon to anything I could, in order to better control my blood sugar, I am diabetic and on insulin.

I heard recently, in the last two months, that there is no truth in cinnamon having any beneficial effects on our system. The myth was shot down. I may have heard it on 20/20, from John Stossell, can't recall.

My doc told me a few years ago to add cinnamon to anything I could, in order to better control my blood sugar, I am diabetic and on insulin.

I heard recently, in the last two months, that there is no truth in cinnamon having any beneficial effects on our system. The myth was shot down. I may have heard it on 20/20, from John Stossell, can't recall.

Well I have not missed my 4 teaspoons of cinnamon and my sambucol every day for over 5 months . Perhaps they are helping. I dont know, but generally I do feel good. My VL has dropped. and the CD4 count has remained more the less the same over the past 6 months since I was first diagnosed and began blood works. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I will be starting on meds very soon. most porbably mid to the end of this week.

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Cruise on down the High Way

"When people who are not ready jump in, things can go horribly wrong. For most of us, there is always time to take a deep breath, consider one's options and make a careful, sound decision based on clinical fact, not emotion."MtD

Well I have not missed my 4 teaspoons of cinnamon and my sambucol every day for over 5 months . Perhaps they are helping. I dont know, but generally I do feel good. My VL has dropped. and the CD4 count has remained more the less the same over the past 6 months since I was first diagnosed and began blood works. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I will be starting on meds very soon. most porbably mid to the end of this week.

If it makes you feel good, keep doing it, because in our situation, 'general feeling of wellbeing' is a very important thing (IMO)

J

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"The Bible contains 6 admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn`t mean that God doesn`t love heterosexuals. It`s just that they need more supervision." -- Lynn Lavne

Sometimes high doses of some herb can interfere with some of the HAART treatment pills. Like hypericine or garlic or even grapefruits...so as long as that has not been tested I'd be not too enthusiastic and would rather not take it.

Good luck with your HAART treatment though, its been due you started it I think. Thats a proven fact. :-)

Sometimes high doses of some herb can interfere with some of the HAART treatment pills. Like hypericine or garlic or even grapefruits...so as long as that has not been tested I'd be not too enthusiastic and would rather not take it.

Good luck with your HAART treatment though, its been due you started it I think. Thats a proven fact. :-)

Thank you for your good wishes.I had an appointment with my doc today. Now, I am waiting for notification from maccabi health service for the medication and then will go get it once the health service gives me the go ahead. Its just a small formality. I will probably have the medication by the end of this week and then start.

Logged

Cruise on down the High Way

"When people who are not ready jump in, things can go horribly wrong. For most of us, there is always time to take a deep breath, consider one's options and make a careful, sound decision based on clinical fact, not emotion."MtD

Sometimes high doses of some herb can interfere with some of the HAART treatment pills. Like hypericine or garlic or even grapefruits...so as long as that has not been tested I'd be not too enthusiastic and would rather not take it.

Are you serious about the grapefruit? How can grapefruit be counterproductive? Its vitamine C and how much of it would be bad to eat?Where whould I find info about it?I make a wonderful fruit salad with white, Red Grapefruit, Pomello, Oranges, 1 apple, 1 small can of pineapple, Persimons. and I could definitely not do with out this fruitsalad. :-(

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Cruise on down the High Way

"When people who are not ready jump in, things can go horribly wrong. For most of us, there is always time to take a deep breath, consider one's options and make a careful, sound decision based on clinical fact, not emotion."MtD

Grapefruit and some protease inhibitors are a potential problem. The "check my meds" tool on the site is pretty helpful about warning of potential interactions. Here's the warning I got from it with respect to grapefruit and Kaletra

"MONITOR: Grapefruit juice may increase the plasma concentrations of some orally administered drugs that are substrates of the CYP450 3A4 isoenzyme. The proposed mechanism is inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated first-pass metabolism in the gut wall by certain compounds present in grapefruits. The extent and clinical significance are unknown. Moreover, pharmacokinetic alterations associated with interactions involving grapefruit juice are often subject to a high degree of interpatient variability. MANAGEMENT: Patients who regularly consume grapefruits and grapefruit juice should be monitored for adverse effects and altered plasma concentrations of drugs that are metabolized by CYP450 3A4. Grapefruits and grapefruit juice should be avoided if an interaction is suspected. Orange juice is not expected to interact with these drugs."

Odd as it may seem, grapefruit does appear to interfere with certain medications. A friend of mine has cancer and is on an oral chemotherapy drug called Gleevec. He's been told that he can't eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking the medication. Not sure what the reason is. I've also heard this same thing regarding certain antianxiety drugs in the benzo class. So I'm not surprised that grapefruit might interfere with some anti-HIV meds.

Thank God for this forum, and your mention of grapefruit. I seriously do like and eat grapefruit, and I do have to start Kaletra and Truvada. Thank you Achim-martin, for alerting me and to Assurbanipal for explanations,I shall now check the drug list.

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Cruise on down the High Way

"When people who are not ready jump in, things can go horribly wrong. For most of us, there is always time to take a deep breath, consider one's options and make a careful, sound decision based on clinical fact, not emotion."MtD

I have now been taking my meds for 1.5 months. I am taking Truvada and Kaletra. (I had resistance to the Strocrin so my doc changed to Kaletra)I had an appointment with my doc yesterday and my VL is now undetectable and CD4 count went up from 278 to 306.

I feel fine, I am still taking 4 teaspoons of cinnamon and 4 tablests of Sambucol a day. I am also happy to add that I dont have any side effects from the meds, and I even forget during the day that I am on meds.

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Cruise on down the High Way

"When people who are not ready jump in, things can go horribly wrong. For most of us, there is always time to take a deep breath, consider one's options and make a careful, sound decision based on clinical fact, not emotion."MtD

That's excellent news, Roie. Just caught up on this tread, actually. Bear in mind that the cautions against garlic are really for garlic supplements - the pills like Garlique. For some reason, these act in your system a bit differently from regular garlic you consume. I've been told plain old dietary garlic is fine. Just remember about that grapefruit since you are now on the Kaletra.